Let the games begin

Every family will have stacks of board games that only see the light at Christmas so why not try to recreate that festive cheer this weekend? This is a great way to keep the whole family entertained, especially if the weather isn’t looking too good.

Dining Out (well almost out)

Make use of the summer sunshine and eat overlooking the garden. This is a nice change if your family is used to eating in the kitchen or dining room. To make it even more effective, why not turn your conservatory into a mini ‘restaurant’ for the night with music and candles? This is not only a lot cheaper than eating out but it will also encourage conversation and laughter at the dinner table.

Star Gazing

Make use of the windows in you conservatory and turn it into an observatory for the night! Grab blankets and snacks and snuggle under the stars. This can be a great way to encourage children to take an interest in science.

Hobbies

Conservatories are great spaces for carrying out your hobbies and crafts, as there’s lots of light and the views of the garden will hopefully inspire your creativity. If like most families you all have different hobbies, then why not try a new hobby together such as mug painting or building a photo album of your family’s favourite holidays and memories?

Movie Night/Day

Get the popcorn ready and get comfy! A film night is a great way to bring your family closer together. You could introduce younger children to films you watched as a child that they may have not seen yet.

A conservatory is a great asset to have so it’s important that we remember just how useful they can be! By showing your conservatory a little love and attention you can easily make it feel just as useful as any other room in your home. If you would like any help updating the furniture in your conservatory ready for those fun weekends, then contact Plumbs today for a free no obligation quotation.

It’s been an extremely exciting week here at Plumbs as we have just become the proud sponsors of ITV Encore!

After a few busy months of prepping, filming, and editing our adverts, we finally got to see them live on Tuesday (7th July). In total we created 9 ten second ads which will run on ITV’s newest channel ITV Encore (Sky channel 123). This is a great place to see all your favourite ITV dramas.

The sponsorship adverts are a fun way for us to really show the benefits of choosing Plumbs, and are a bit of light hearted relief from any intense drama! The 3 main themes we chose were; wash-ability, choice of fabrics and our in-home service.

Here are a few behind the scenes snaps and a video from the days filming in Ilkley, Yorkshire…

We had a great day filming and really hope you’ll enjoy the adverts as much as we do!

It’s been over 50 years since Plumbs first opened for business. Today, life in Britain is virtually unrecognisable – and so are our homes. We’ve seen more than our fair share of trends come and go, and we’ve noticed that our interior choices always reflect the times much more than we think. Design trends are as influenced by cultural change as by designers themselves.

Another thing we’ve noticed is how our sofas have remained the nucleus of our living areas. We’ve watched generations grow up on the same one, and have seen what a great source of nostalgia they are in British homes.

Our infographic aims to demonstrate two observations: it’s a recap of the last 7 decades of interior design, and how one sofa can stay at the centre of the family home with just a few changes to keep it updated. Which decade is your favourite? And what does your family sofa mean to you? Leave a comment below!

Copper has been everywhere in interior design over the last year or so and its popularity doesn’t appear to wavering. The trend is even taking over our high street stores from light fittings to kitchen utensils and bathroom fixtures.

Why is this trend so popular?

Stainless steel has been the staple metal of choice in our homes for many years, and so it was difficult to imagine another metallic becoming so popular, however the glamour, grandeur and versatility of Copper has helped propel this hue into our homes.

How to use incorporate the Copper trend into your home?

Whether beaten, aged or shiny, this warm metallic tone is perfect for any season and works well with both vibrant and neutral colour schemes. Team with grey and white for a calm and contemporary feel, dusty pastels for a playful feminine feel, or for an intense and moody vibe - deep indigo blues.

Here are some of my best copper finds..

This colour also looks great on the walls; take a look at the Colour Predictions blog we posted towards the beginning of the year looking at Dulux’s colour of the Year – Copper Orange.